Digitizing is the process where by position data is gathered from the surface of a physical model object with the aim of reconstructing one or more duplicates of the model object. A conventional digitizing system is a data collection device by which surface points on a physical model may be collected. This data (xe2x80x9cDigitized Dataxe2x80x9d) is then used to produce a physical duplicate of the model object. This is achieved by using the Digitized Data to generate Computer Numerical Control (xe2x80x9cCNCxe2x80x9d) part program, which may be executed on a machine tool. The objective of the digitizing process is to efficiently capture sufficient data to faithfully reproduce the model object.
A conventional digitizing system may consist of an actuated machine, a controller, and a digitizing probe that are employed to collect data representative of points on the surface of the model object. The machine may also consist of a table on which a model object is placed and a head for mounting the data gathering probe. Relative motion between the probe and the model object is achieved when the controller generates control signals to the machine""s actuators (e.g., servomotors). The controller orchestrates the relative motion between the probe and the model object by processing feedback information from the machine""s actuators and by processing the output signals from the data-gathering probe. The motions of the actuated machine may be, for example, orthogonal three-dimensional motions. Those skilled in the art will understand that systems may implement more or fewer axes of controllable motion. The feedback generated by the actuated axes may, for example, be in the form of encoder feedback indicating the relative displacement of each axis of motion from a known reference point.
The present invention relates to a method of routing a probe of a digitizing system on the surface of a model object for the purpose of copying that model object as a part are disclosed. When a tolerance number is given, model surface data can be collected so that the geometrical difference between the model and the part is within the given tolerance for all touchable points on the model surface.